Kill Your Friends | Paperback

Regarding Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas & American Psycho as some of my favourite books and having worked for more than 10 years in the music industry, this book was the perfect mashup! Yes, the music business is about the same as described in the book, allthough I have never encountered any murderers. John Niven writes in a very catchy language - so catchy that I actually found myself reading while walking in the streets. I can only give this my full recommendation.

this is an excellent read, and although it leans a little too much on Easton-Ellis' "American Psycho" and, in parts, Thompson's 'Fear & Loathing..." it does stand on its own two feet and does have its own individual character. excellent satire of the whole "britpop, cool britannia" era (ie praising "Be Here Now" and slagging off what was to become "OK Computer").
tho it has put me off ever having aspirations of being in a succesful band haha

8.5/10

Following a similar premise as American Psycho (affluent, successful upper middle class male who is disenfranchised with his life) Kill Your Friends follows the decadent period of the British music industry in the late 90s. John Niven is an actual survivor of that period, and it shows. Cynical and blacker than black humour collide with real happenings in the industry at the time. It's a well constructed debut novel, and is easy to digest, which I finished very quickly. However, there are a few too many similarities to Bret Easton Ellis' masterpiece for comfort. Still a very worthy read though.